P624: CHROMOTHRIPSIS IN PATIENTS WITH CLL AND COMPLEX KARYOTYPE: PATTERNS OF ABERRATIONS AND PROGNOSTIC VALUE
Authors: S. Ramos-Campoy, A. Puiggros, J. Kamaso, S. Beà, S. Bougeon, M. J. Larráyoz, D. Costa, H. Parker, G. M. Rigolin, M. L. Blanco, R. Collado, I. Ancín, R. Salgado, M. Moro, T. Baumann, E. Gimeno, C. Moreno, M. J. Calasanz, A. Cuneo, J. C. Strefford, F. Nguyen-Khac, D. Oscier, C. Haferlach, J. Schoumans, B. Espinet
Journal: HemaSphere (2022)

Background: Chromothripsis is a unique catastrophic event found in 1-5% of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients, associated with poor prognostic factors and short survival (Edelmann et al, 2012; Puente et al, 2015; Leeksma et al, 2021). It is characterized by the presence of multiple genomic rearrangements in one chromosome, resulting in oscillating switches between 2-3 copy number states by chromosomal microarrays (CMA) or next-generation sequencing (Stephens et al, 2011). Optical genome mapping (OGM) is a new method based on the imaging of long DNA molecules (>250kb) labelled at specific motifs, generating a unique pattern. This allows mapping of the genomic location of each molecule and detection of structural and numerical chromosomal abnormalities with high resolution and sensitivity. Aims: 1. To analyze the genome complexity associated with chromothripsis and the patterns of rearrangements detected by OGM; 2. To determine the prognostic impact of chromothripsis in a cohort of CLL patients enriched in complex karyotypes (CK). Methods: A total of 33 patients with chromothripsis detected by CMA were included: 11 with chromothripsis-like patterns (≥7 switches), 22 with classical chromothripsis (≥10 switches). Nine of the cases were studied with OGM (Bionano Genomics). Clinico-biological features and time to first treatment (TTFT) were analyzed. Results were compared with a cohort of 129 patients showing CK without chromothripsis (control group) (Ramos-Campoy et al, 2021). Results: All patients with chromothripsis showed a high genomic complexity (30/33 with CK by chromosome banding analysis and 3/33 classified as complex by CMA [range: 10-24 CNV, being at least three of them >5Mb (range: 3-6)]. Forty-six chromothriptic events were identified. These affected 1-4 chr/patient, but a single chromosome was involved in 25/33 patients (76%). Chromothripsis was distributed throughout all chromosomes, most frequently affecting 3 (n=5), 6 (n=5) and 13 (n=5). The events were mainly multiple losses (25/46) or alternated gains and losses (19/46). Size and coordinates of CNVs detected by OGM and CMA were highly concordant. OGM detected multiple rearrangements cryptic by CMA (median: 9/chromothriptic event). Two patterns of chromothripsis-related rearrangements were identified: one clustered in the chromothriptic region (3/9) and the other involving both chromothriptic and non-chromothriptic chromosomes (range: 1-6 chr) (6/9). One patient showed 36 rearrangements throughout the genome, suggesting the coexistence of chromothripsis and chromoplexy, characterized by the presence of multiple chained translocations (Figure). Patients with chromothripsis showed a higher frequency of TP53del/mut (70% vs 39%; p=0.001) and a shorter TTFT (15m vs 2m; p=0.013) than the control group. No differences were observed for IGHV and del(11q) status. When stratifying patients based on TP53 status, the presence of chromothripsis was not associated with shorter TTFT. In the multivariate analysis including TP53, genomic complexity by CMA and chromothripsis, only TP53 was statistically significant (HR=1.6; p=0.029). Image:Summary/Conclusion: 1. Chromothriptic events involve multiple loci in CLL patients; 2. OGM allows not only the detection of CNV but also the identification of two rearrangement patterns associated with chromothripsis (clustered or involving non-chromothriptic chromosomes) whose clinical impact should be further explored. 3. In CLL patients with CK, the adverse prognosis of chromothripsis is associated with a higher frequency of TP53del/mut.